Dictionary App

Diction • n. 1) the choice or use of words in speech and writing. 2) the style of enunciation in speaking or singing
Origin C16: Latin from dictio(n-) from dicere “to say.”Dictionary • n a book that list the words of a language in alphabetical order and gives their meaning or the equivalent in different language
ORIGIN C16: from med. L. dictionarium (manuale) or dictionarius (liber) ‘manual or book of words’, from L. dictio (see diction).
Enunciation: n. utterance or pronunciation… [and down the rabbit hole you go.]

How can we crack open the bandwidth of incoming information to your phone if the meaning is not understood?

Bandwidth • n. a range of frequencies, especially one used in telecommunications. the transmission capacity of a computer network or other telecommunication system.

When one talks, if every word is not understood, it is almost impossible to get 100% of the message. Ever wonder why after a body of information is revisited after a while, it has more meaning? Its not that information was holding back it’s meaning from you, instead your capacity to learn/listen/understand has increased. The “new eyes” you view the information with can better comprehend.

One should not assume what words and phrases mean if full understanding is the goal. Put the ego to the side and admit to your benightedness instead of trying to use your current knowledge and context clues to try and discover the meaning. This can be counter-productive to learning, understanding and communication. It is not always necessary to look up everything depending on the information and task at hand. Does working like this take more time?…Yes! However, the important question is why are you in a rush?

Context clues: n. hints that an author gives to help define a difficult or unusual word. The clue may appear within the same sentence as the word to which it refers, or it may follow in a preceding sentence….

A dictionary app is a must have. It can be downloaded from almost any app store for free. It will only cost an investment of time to not suffer from aphasia. I recommended that one look up every word that is used in their current common vernacular.

Could one say the public programming through mass media, public school system, the injection of cultural practices and social norms may be “unwelcome and detrimental?” A better question may be if damage wasn’t defined, one may have thought that aphasia was not in line with what was trying to be conveyed because of the term “brain damage?”

Breaking words all the way down without making assumptions is a whole education in itself. When one’s command of their language is mastered, remedy will come faster and many situations can be avoided altogether due to the clarity in communication.

While the comprehensibility of communication is one major aspect of things, the other party’s understanding is another issue. In general when dealing with normal people, one, as a better communicator, should take 100% responsibility to make sure there is understanding of what is being broadcasted. There is also the flip side that one should “seek to understand, then be understood.” But I digress. That is another topic.

The dictionary app is one which all other apps rest. By assuming and only getting “the gist” of what is being said, one can never come into full understanding. Being general in a specific world doesn’t work well.

gist • n. 1) the substance or general meaning of a speech or text.

Homework

Carry a dictionary (physical or digital) at all times. Look up every word. Assume nothing. An unabridged version is preferred but size plays an issue in carrying a physical dictionary around. In a few weeks, not only will you have better apprehension of many things, you’ll have a more sophisticated diction. We’ll cover vocabulary in more detail with later posts.
Go download those dictionary apps: one English unabridged dictionary and a Legal dictionary. Pay for a good dictionary, they are worth ever Federal Reserve Note. Remember that these are two different languages. When we walk around assuming that words which look and sound the same out of these two different languages mean the same thing, we are setting ourselves up for a downfall.

5 Responses to “Dictionary App”

I’m going to make a presumption that, if you are reading w/o a dictionary, when a word appears you don’t understand you must insert something made up or otherwise to continue reading. If this is a logical presumption, that would explain much of the misunderstandings and misinformation out there. I think it would be safe to also conclude that the individual is the central cause of most if not all of her or his socalled “problems” due to lack of diligence. -js

LOL! It’s good you are like that, but a lot of people don’t use dictionaries. I didn’t for a long time, but then again, I wasn’t in learn mode at that point in my life either. We’re all here now and if we choose to move forward and improve our lives, then it will become new constitution.

I find it difficult to read anything without a dictionary handy. I honestly do see how you wouldn’t. Usually if I think of a word I’ve heard while going through my day, I’ll go to wiktionary or the free online dictionary. With the correct understanding words can actually spell your freedom. One interesting aside is that even when looking up definitions, it’s necessary to establish a context so that the meaning “speaks” to the particular subject we are dealing with.